Papaya King Hotdogs in NYC New York

Papaya King established in 1932 is one of New York City's oldest hot dog joints. The original location at 86th Street and 3rd Ave is still in business.



Papaya King was the first to serve the good ol hot dog together with a papaya drink, after it's founder Gus Poulos tasted the tropical melon in Cuba. Since then, "papaya dog" became the New Yorkers' way to eat hot dogs.



I went to Papaya King's outlet which opened in 2013 at St. Marks Place in New York City’s East Village.



Inside this Papaya King, the setup was very informal and even had some vintage style arcade games machines. The colours were loud and funky.

It was very comfortable inside and the staff were very friendly.

(The old 86th Street Papaya King shop is a counter service, standing room only outlet.)



Papaya King's franks are 100% beef in natural jacket.



The USD5 set of two hotdogs and a drink costs only a hair (5 cents) more than Gray Papaya's famed recession set (USD4.95).



The Sabrett brand beef wiener was grilled to a slight char and nice crisp outside.

I saw Sabrett umbrellas at hot dog stands everywhere in New York City - looks like Sabrett supplies the whole hot dog maket in NYC ;-D



The beef wieners were more salty than those at Gray's Papaya. The soft buns were toasted a little more lightly.

I prefer my franks less salty and my buns toasted a little darker.

I like Papaya King's papaya juice - refreshing with a nice tropical fruit flavour.



Papaya King was featured in the 1988 movie, Crossing Delancey. This is Papaya King's original 86th Street location.



When in New York City, try a hot dog and papaya juice pairing - it's a unique, only in NYC experience.

Restaurant name: Papaya King
Address: 3 St. Mark's Place NYC New York (between 2nd and 3rd Ave)
Map: http://bit.ly/PapayaKingSMP
Hours: 8:00 am – 1:00 am

Date: 24 Dec 2014

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Gray's Papaya Hot Dog in NYC New York

Munching on a hot dog in hand at a small shop or street cart, watching people on a busy skyscraper lined street is a Must Try New York City experience.



One of the best places to do this is at Gray's Papaya right across the street from 72nd Street subway station on the Upper West Side.

Gray's Papaya's tagline "When you're hungry, or broke, or just in a hurry!" seemed to be talking to me ;-p



Gray's Papaya is just a simple quick service snack shop.



With Gray's Papaya's fame and an authentic New York City experience at a friendly price, the small shop is always filled with people - locals and tourists alike.

Service is quick, if a bit scruffy, so the queues clear fast.



President Obama ate here too when he was in New York City.



My "recession special" at USD4.95. Two hot dogs and a papaya juice. 

Just perfect ;-D

I've taken a bite off that hot dog, not too soon ;-p 



I enjoyed my hot dogs on the narrow ledge with a prime window seat. It was fun to watch New Yorkers hurry by while I leisurely munched on my snack and appreciate the ornate heritage Dutch style buildings along Amsterdam Avenue.



The hot dog was freshly grilled to a slight char.

Beautiful.



Nice beefy, stewed onions, tomato sauce, spice and light char flavours. Slight spring from the grilled skin and soft ground beef inside. The lightly buttered toasted bun was fluffy inside and had a subtle crisp outside.

It was a darned good hot dog.

The papaya juice was a too sugary sweet, flavoured iced drink.

Nothing exquisite but at USD4.95 for a taste of the real New York City at street level....

It's a Must Try!



Gray's Papaya in the 1997 movie "Fools Rush In" starring Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry.



Restaurant name: Gray's Papaya
Address: 2090 Broadway Avenue, NYC New York (along Amsterdam Avenue)
Map: http://bit.ly/GraysPapaya
Hours: Open 24 hours

Date visited: 18 Dec 2014

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